


Make Yourself at Home

by TheEndofEternity



Category: Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Genre: And the Robot Series probably, F/M, SPOILERS for Prelude to Foundation, in-universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-03-09 12:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13481526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEndofEternity/pseuds/TheEndofEternity
Summary: Hari Seldon thought that once all secrets were revealed and his flight across Trantor finally ended that his life would begin to gain some relative stability. But he should have learned from his mathematical studies that the universe is dictated by entropy, and much like society, nothing can stay the same forever. Fortunately, the connection that he made with the journalist Chetter Hummin when he first came to Trantor will be of benefit as he seeks to establish himself within Trantorian academic society. But this association could prove bring its own consequences-- and chaos.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've really wanted to write more of the dynamic between Daneel and Dors lately so I decided to embark on this fic. It probably won't end up being very long, and I'm trying not to take myself too seriously. Hopefully I get the character's voices right. I also wanted to explore the idea of Daneel interacting more with Hari, as it's hinted that there are further associations before Forward occurs, albeit rare (obviously, what happened in my fic may not fit entirely within canon, but there's no reason for it not to). 
> 
> Note that I do not own anything ever written by Isaac Asimov and all belongs to his estate. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Any sort of advancement within the academic domain should be considered a victory, especially in an era where the field itself had seemed to stagnate and merely exist, with as minimal challenges as possible to facilitate with inadequate funding. Likewise, aside from the best and brightest of the age, throughout the galaxy, finding a career in which one could full utilize the skills carefully (and painstakingly) cultivated within years of study was equally difficult, for similar reasons. In Hari Seldon’s case, all of the usual fears that accompany the dawn of one’s thirties had been ameliorated by his presentation at the Decennial Convention and his introduction to the journalist Chetter Hummin, who he knew now not to be but a journalist but the Chief of Staff of the Emperor Cleon himself, and in addition, something which he could seldom speak with his own lips: a robot. 

In exchange for embarking on a mission to aid in Hummin’s own lofty goals of galactic stabilization, he had been given a comfortable position in Streeling University, as well as a guaranteed place of lodging nearby that he’d share with Dors Venabili. Of course, these benefits came with their own share of difficulties, most considerably being the burden of expected accomplishment, something that scientists, who generally go by a guideline of the expectation of failure, find notable discomfort in. 

At the very least, Seldon thought to himself, I can give him progress. But it’d be presumptuous on his part to offer anything more, of his own skills and of the equilibrium of the world around him. Even with his microcosmic model, it seemed Trantor was as much prone to deviation as the rest of the worlds combined. 

It’s easy enough to lose sight of the mundanities and domesticity of everyday life when involved in such grand schemes, but life persists just as it would on any other occasion, with its own fair share of complexity and chaos to decipher in a way that Psychohistory will never be capable of. This would be one of many things in his life that he is grateful to have Dors for. It seems that no matter what comes their way, barring some threat to Hari or Raych’s life, she approaches all topics with solidity and stoicism. Which made the sudden realization of needing to acquire lodging, go through all the paperwork for citizenship, and everything else involved with settling into place all the more easier. 

They were sitting at a small cafe in the center of Streeling’s University sector, scanning through the various holosheets Dors had obtained from Hummin a few days prior. They had received notice by the university that each of their individual lodgings would expire since they’d declared companionship and, as well, with the as of yet unofficial addition of Raych into the family, they would require a larger space to accommodate all three of them. 

“These,” Dors said, throwing down a pile of holoprints, “Are the nicest apartments in the closest vicinity to the center of the University. I see you tensing up a little, but fortunately, Hummin has already assured that we can reserve any of these we choose and will deal with the finances when needed. We just need to choose.”  
Hari reluctantly picked up a flyer. This particular apartment advertised in-room dining services and a “window” that provided “94% air refreshment than standard university apartments”, a concept which Hari could not exactly wrap his mind around. Another apartment possessed a a niche for a small herb garden, which interested neither of them, and all offerings seemed to lack an adequate amount of space, which was standard fare for even the highest-priced Imperial lodging. 

He set the flyer down. “Are we close enough to the campus?” 

Dors nodded confidently. “As close as you can get without being an administrator. To be sure, Hummin pulled a few strings to allow us to even have access to these advertisements. You can’t just pick these up in the faculty center.”

Hari nodded. “And this is all the space we’re going to conceivably get?”

Dors smiled wanly. “I’m afraid so. But we both have our offices, and I can request any other accommodations necessary, although unless time-sensitive don’t expect anyone to budge on acquiring them for a couple of months. And there’s always the library. You especially might find spending time worthwhile in there.”

“To read about history? I think I’ll leave that to you. In any case, I’d like to keep my work as confidential as possible.”

“That’s conceivable. And just paranoid enough that I think Hummin would commend you. How about this?” Dors grabbed one of the holographic flyers and slid it in front of Hari, pointing at a paragraph close to the margins accompanied by a photograph of a pleasant-enough looking structure. “From my personal observations, and more extensive experiencing living at Streeling, I think this one would be best suited for our uses.” 

“Is that the one that advertises the 94% better air quality?”

Dors shook her head and looked at him sardonically. “Are you breathing right now?”

Hari nodded his head.

“Then you’ll live. I’ll send this off to Hummin and we can finalize our lease. If we submit everything as soon as possible, we might even be able to move in within the next three months.”

Hari sat smiling for a second, gazing into his fiancés eyes and imaging all the romantic thoughts he had shut out through the duration of graduate school and thought would remain shut out for the rest of his life. Suddenly, a pressing thought occurred to him that slammed upon his consciousness like a ton of bricks. 

“Dors, we’re being kicked out of our apartments in seven days!”

Dors nodded her head. “I know that, Hari. Naturally, I’m not about to let us both go homeless, nor Raych. I’ve already made arrangements with Hummin. We’ll be staying in his place until move-in.”

Hari stared at her, mouth slightly agape. He had only spoken once, briefly, with Hummin since the encounter on Wye in which he revealed everything about his true identity, and even then it was brief and impersonal, as well as holographic. Despite the resultant actions post-revelation, Seldon had had no difficulty pushing the deeper reality of the situation into the back of his mind (certainly, in part, with the help of “Hummin’s” mentalic powers). He was having difficulty grasping now the reality of living in close quarters with who he now knew to be of high imperial stature, as well as other details that he’d rather not entertain but would likely have to in the coming weeks. 

His initial thought was resistance. “Will he really be okay with that? His place isn’t very big, and it’ll have to accomodate all four of us.”

Dors waved a hand. “He’s hardly ever there, and any case, Raych will be staying in another location, temporary, with Yugo, so he’s not an issue to worry about. It’s just three of us. And as you know, Hummin doesn’t need to sleep.”

Hari got a frantic look in his face. “Dors! Should we really be discussing such things in public.”

Dors smiled calmly. “If anyone here were to ever give so much attention to us to have noticed that particular statement, it could easily be chalked up to his manic personality rather than not sleeping in the literal sense. You worry too much.”

“Yeah, well it’s Hummin that started that one.”

Dors replied sardonically. “Yes, and as you know, Demerzel and his agents could be lurking around any corner.”

Hari finally cracked a smile. “It looks like I might even have one sitting right and front of me.”

Dors smirked. “I could say the same about you. Welcome to the team, Hari. The lodgings are free.”


	2. Introduction

Hari only had meager possessions on Trantor, not including those which he had left in his hotel room when he first came to the planet, more than likely never to be recovered. At the very least, this made it relatively easy to pack his belongings as he and Dors prepared to move. She had told him that she had corresponded with Hummin as soon as they finished discussing their move and had confirmed that they were welcome to stay (the details of how quickly she was able to communicate with him he tried not to dwell on). 

After just a couple of hours of packing, they signed out of their temporary residence and prepared for the trip to the Imperial sector. Hummin had sent a private car to pick them up, which would be able to escort them into Streeling sector on the days which they would be required to be on campus to work (a feat only possible with both of them now enlightened to his position as First Minister). 

It no longer amazed Hari how elegant and elaborate the area in which Hummin lived was, since he knew that he not only worked for one of the largest journalistic entities in Trantor, but oversaw Trantor as a whole as well. The establishment that they would be staying in for the next three months could hardly compare to the palace in which Hummin would spend part of his days, in his persona as Eto Demerzel. 

They strolled through the bright hallway of his floor until they reached the door they were looking for. Attached to the door was a small button accompanied by a camera, which displayed an image of both of them outwards. They pressed the button and waited. 

After a minute there was no answer, so Hari went to press the button again. Before he had the chance, the door opened. Standing at the door was the tall, dark-haired man Hari met just over a year ago at a park in the Imperial Sector, the man who led him across Trantor on an expedition of sociological elucidation. 

The man who Seldon knew was not a man, but a robot. A robot who, in this moment, was smiling, subtly yet genuinely, at both of them as he welcomed them both. 

Dors immediately leaned in to hug him, to which he reciprocated. They smiled wordlessly to each other as they broke apart. Turning towards Seldon, he extended a hand and smiled warmly. 

Hari returned his handshake. “It has been a while, hasn’t it, Hummin?”

He nodded. “It has, although Dors and I have been in correspondence. Seldom, I should say, concerning you or the progress of your work, so you will have to catch me up.” 

His apartment was just as Hari had remembered it. Sleek, modern, although seemingly lacking in many key facilities (kitchen, washrooms), which were located just down the hall. Naturally, Hari now knew that Hummin would not need to use these facilities himself (or, at least, he thought, not very often. He supposed that even a robot would be required to wash up occasionally), and he also knew that this was a very common feature of the living facilities in inner Trantor, where space was limited and expensive. This was even more so in the case of Hummin’s apartment, located in the Imperial Sector.

Hummin gestured towards within the apartment and Dors and Hari walked, Hummin following behind and gently shutting the door. Hari glanced at the choices of seating in the room-- a single bed (seldom used, Hari suspected), a desk chair, and a pleasant looking small loveseat with a tag still on it, perhaps purchased for the sake of hosting Hari and his wife. He decided to take a seat on the loveseat, followed by Dors on the bed. Hummin leaned over a opened his messenger bag, pulling out a dark bottle. 

He flashed a small (shy?) smile towards the two. “I brought a bottle of plum wine back from Hotis.” He turned the bottle in his hands and examined the label carefully, although he had no doubt read and thus memorized it prior to purchasing it. “It was procured using the indigenous yeasts of the Perenian foothills and is famed for being an established name accompanied with a unique flavor profile. Would either of you care for a glass?

Dors held her hand up politely to pass. Hari obliged. “Sure. And thank you, that was thoughtful.”

Hari noticed that there seemed to be an entire shift of Hummin’s demeanor now that he was cognizant of his true identity. Somewhat amusingly, Hari had almost detected something like nervousness in the way he trailed on about the wine. 

He steadily poured a glass, just one, and handed it to Hari, flashing him another small smile before sitting down across from him at his desk. 

“How was your ride over? I know that the distance to is greater than you would prefer, but I suppose that is one detail that is unavoidable.”

Dors smiled. “The distance is fine. Neither of us are in teaching posts on campus, and we can limit our visits so as to not spend too much time in transit.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Your driver is a close friend of mine who has previously provided service to me in one of my journalistic endeavours. It was important to have a close confidante in a situation which I needed to dedicate ample time to both my position as journalist and my position as First Minister. That is why I trusted him to provide you transportation during your brief period living in Imperial Sector.” 

Hari looked at him shocked. “So he’s aware that you’re-”

Hummin nodded before he could finish.”He is one of the few individuals who I could entrust with that information. However, I feel that it should be noted that while he is aware that I am First Minister, he has not been made aware of other truths. Specifically, those which you extrapolated from me on Wye. In fact, you are one of very few individuals who I have ever given the complete truth, largely due to the fact that you were able to deduce that information yourself, without prompting.” 

There was an uncomfortable silence, one which Hummin seemed to sit through comfortably, as if he anticipated it. 

“In any case, it is not important that we discuss those matters now. What is important is that you both are able to become comfortable for the months that you are here. Try to familiarize yourself with the dining facilities just down the hall to your left once you exit the apartment. I haven’t personally spent much time using the facilities, as you could well imagine, but I have added you under my account for charges and you can purchase anything you’d like using the tile I gave you. Across the street is a pleasant cafe-- Dors will already be familiar with it as we have met there on different occasions.” 

“You might have already guessed that I am not going to be around often. There are different periods where I will spend more or less time at the palace, and all I could wish for you both is that you are able to go about your lives as usual without myself acting as a distraction. Especially you, Seldon. I would hate to be the reason for you to have trouble finding time to work on Psychohistory.”

Hari shook his head. “I doubt that’ll ever be the case.”

“Lastly, during the period in which we’re in cohabitation, or when we are each confined to these four walls, feel free to refer to me by my true name. In fact,” he hesitated, glancing down briefly, “I would even welcome it.”

Suddenly, it seemed like all of the mental guards in Hari’s mind had fallen down. Still, he found himself competing internally with his own reservations regarding the recognition of Hummin’s true nature. 

However, it’d be improper, as a guest, to not comply with Hummin’s request. Seldon felt that he owed him at least that much. 

“Of course, D-.....Daneel.”

Hummin, or rather, Daneel, smiled more broadly than Seldon had ever seen, or had even thought possible. “Anything you say within these walls regarding my identity, or anything you must ask me to assist your work, is not only permissible but fully confidential. I recall that you wanted to utilize your knowledge of my nature as an opportunity to discover more about the various ebbs and flows of the galaxy. Whenever we are here, I would be happy to answer any of your questions, for the sake of Psychohistory or for your own interest,” he paused, “If you are interested…?”

Hari vigorously nodded. “I certainly am, and I’d be happy to listen to anything you wish to talk about. I’m sure Dors would be even more interested, with her interest in history.” 

“I have to admit that it has been,” he paused again, as if considering his words, “liberating to know that there is yet another person who I can confide in. In any case, Dors has already heard quite a bit about me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s become tired of it.”

Dors shook her head and smiled. “Never.”

Hari, seemingly just remembering the glass of his wine, took a sip. In response, Daneel cocked his head, to which Hari nodded. “Really good. I don’t suppose you drink wine, or can drink wine, I guess. You know, because-” he trailed off, embarrassed. 

Daneel waited a moment, allowing Hari’s embarrassment to fade. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed about asking questions. No, Hari, I’m afraid I don’t drink wine, although there have been occasions in which I haven’t had the choice. I would prefer not to, seeing as there is no benefit to doing it for me.”

He gave a small smile. “There is a vineyard on the property of the Imperial Estate, which I greatly enjoy spending time around. Many of the groundskeepers find it odd to see their abrasive, aloof First Minister spending time in the rose gardens, but perhaps less so within the vineyard. Or at least, I have never been questioned…”

Just then, a thought occurred to Hari. “I guess you’ve piqued my curiosity, Daneel, but how do you manage to balance your work as Demerzel with your work as Hummin? I suppose the fact that you’re lent enough time to stroll through the garden means that you have some time outside of those obligations. That, and the work you put into scouting me for my mathematics.”

“Scouting you, as you put it, was a task that I intentionally maneuvered, with Cleon cognizant of the fact, as First Minister. As for my responsibilities as a journalist, it is quite easy to incorporate my travels as First Minister with investigative journalism. I simply write between travels and send articles off, in transit.”

“As for time, you may have forgotten that I do not require sleep. Thus, I’m given an additional third of an entire day, which, when balanced out by the varied time zones and the ability to work remotely, gives me quite a bit of flexibility in my responsibilities, in a relative sense.”

Hari tried to imagine holding such a schedule and shuddered, although he figured that it may just be his human sensibilities. “Do you ever get tired? Or the equivalent, I suppose…?”  
Hari realized that there was no reason to ask this. It was evident just by his demeanor, his occasional tone, and the distant look in his eyes, that his long life had made him weary. 

Daneel nodded, as if in deep thought. “I suppose it would be more difficult to apply the term as a descriptor in the physical sense. However, you can imagine that the roles that I’m tasked with, being on such a careful balance, can have the tendency to overburden the mind.”

“Analogously, think of it as a very difficult mathematics problem. There is, in some sense, a thrill, but perhaps as prescribed by a supervisor or academic board, a sense of real urgency involved. Yet the urgency does not lessen the complexity, and it only becomes more daunting in the face of immediate concern. Which is why it becomes important to find a counterbalance; some sort of temporary reprieve from the responsibilities at hand.”

Dors smirked. “Which is why you spend so much time in the Imperial gardens.” Daneel simply shrugged. 

Hari raised an eyebrow curiously. “I guess I never imagined you to be so sentimental.”

“That’s because you never got the chance to know Daneel,” Dors smiled, “Although I’m sure in the coming months you’ll get the chance. Time permitting, of course.”

Daneel gave another small, subtle smile, then stood up. “Naturally. But I’m afraid, and apologetic, of the fact that I need to leave just after acquainting you with the apartment. Please feel free to reach out in any capacity-- I will be away for the next two days, but I can respond fairly promptly to any messages you convey. You can always reach me through Dors. I will try to arrange a larger period of time in which we can continue our discussions, although I’m afraid I can’t make any promises.”

“Do whatever you need to do. I’ve gained an even greater appreciation of the work you do just in the past hour,” Hari stood up as well and stood awkwardly in front of Hummin. Dors remained sitting comfortably on the bed with a coy smile, “And, uh, thank you for everything.”

Noticing Hari’s shyness, Daneel extended a hand. “I appreciate it. Please make yourselves comfortable in any way you see fit. My home is your home.”

Hari received his handshake, firm yet not forceful. “And if you need any kind of payment of ren-”

“There is no need. I do not believe that I need to remind you that it is on my behalf that you are still here, on Trantor, in the first place. I feel obligated to support you, and I’ve promised to do so in any way that is within my capacity.”

Hari nodded. “Right. Well, have a safe trip.”

Daneel nodded and reached down to grab his bag, although not without extending an arm to hug Dors from the side. He flipped his scarf behind him and headed towards the door.


End file.
